renewed the promise concerning his seed, as that which should come forth out of his own bowels and be multiplied as the stars of heaven. The patriarch on this occasion so glorified the divine veracity by his unshaken, unquestioning faith, that the scripture saith, it was counted to him for righteousness, verse 6. The renewed promise concerning his progeny was immediately followed by a confirmation of the grant of Canaan; and a remarkable pledge that the grant should be executed in due season. Having, as he had been commanded, slain several animals, divided their bodies, and placed the sections opposite to each other, his senses were locked up to every other object, and Jehovah disclosed to him a comprehensive view of evils to come upon his family before their possession of the promised land. But their possession at the proper time was guaranteed by solemn compact. "A burning lamp," the symbol of the divine presence," passed between those pieces" of the slain animals, in token of ratifying every stipulation belonging to the promise in question. For in that same day, the Lord made a COVENANT with Abram, saying, " Unto thy seed have I given this land," &c. v. 8—21. Here is an end of all transactions for establishing the first promise. It was sealed in the covenant, and never again occurs by itself. The end of this covenant, too well defined to be mistaken, was to secure to Abram a numerous posterity, and their inheritance in the land of Canaan. Further it went not. It does not so much as mention the promise relating to the families of the earth being blessed in him. And from the minuteness with which every thing else is adjusted, it is evident that this last promise, not even hinted at, was not intended to be comprised in the covenant which secured the other. Let us proceed then. : 2. Fourteen years after the date of this covenant, Jehovah appeared again to Abram, and made another covenant with him. The transaction is thus recorded in the seventeenth chapter of Genesis: And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee; and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a FATHER OF MANY NATIONS. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram; but thy name shall be Abraham: for a father of many nations have I made thec. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee; and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations, for an everlasting covenant; to be a GOD UNTO THEE, AND TO THY SEED AFTER THEE. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee, in their generations. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy seed after thee; Every man-child among you shall be CIRCUMCISED. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your generations; he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is NOT OF THY SEED. He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man-child, whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant, ver. 1—14. Our inquiry is into the nature and design of this covenant. What was it? Not a covenant, either of works or grace, for eternal life. For Abram had been " justified by faith, without the works of the law," and had been interested in the covenant of God's grace before this. His eternal life had been secured many years. Nor was it merely a personal or domestic covenant: that is, one which provided for the individual dignity of the patriarch, and the prosperous settlement of his children in the land of Canaan. This, too, had been concluded long be- ▾ fore, as has been shown. It recognizes, indeed, all that was included in the personal covenant, which it might otherwise be supposed to supersede; but it has features of its own so peculiar and marked, that it cannot be considered in any other light than that of a distinct engagement. For, besides the solemnity with which it was introduced, and which would hardly have preceded a mere repetition of former grants, it contained new matter; it constituted new relations; and was affirmed in an extraordinary manner. 1st. It contained new matter-I will make thee a father of many nations: which is much more than can be interpreted of Abram's literal posterity; and must be viewed as expounding the promise and extending the privilege formerly assured to him-In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. It was a great thing to be only an instrument of blessing to all the families of the earth; but a much greater to be that instrument in such a manner as to become what no other man, in the sense of the covenant, ever did, or ever can beVol. IV. 5 come, "a father of many nations:" and moreover, a personal pledge, also, of his new dignity was conferred upon the patriarch, in that remarkable alteration of his name from Abram to Abraham; the former signifying high Father; and the latter, high Father of a multitude. 2d. It constituted new relations-To be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. This cannot be explained of Abraham's relation to God as the God of his salvation; for in that sense God was his God long before; and whatever is the relation expressed, it grew out of the covenant now made; It embraced his seed too. Nor, with respect to their eternal life, did God now engage to be their God; for all that was adjusted in the covenant of grace; and the privilege could not reach beyond those who were the actual partakers of the same precious faith with Abraham. Where in the sense of this covenant, God was the God of all Abraham's seed, without exception, under the limitations which restricted the covenant operation first to Isaac, and afterwards to Jacob, including such as should choose their God, their faith, and their society. For he was to be their God in their generations: i. e. as soon as a new individual of this seed was generated, he was within the covenant; and according to the tenour of the covenant, God was his God.* 99 66 * The expressions "thy God," "my God,” our God," and that, so much and so properly in usc among Christians, "our |